Page 20 of Branded Hearts

“Bloody oath! Of course we are,” Xavier says with a full on smile. “I’m fucking stoked. It’s just so—” his voice trails off.

“Unexpected?” I finish for him.

Xavier chuckles nervously. “Yeah, unexpected is an understatement.We’re still trying to wrap our heads around it ourselves. But we’re excited, you know? Scared shitless, but excited.”

“I bet,” I say, nodding. “Is Isla doing okay? You know, with everything that’s happened recently?”

Xavier’s smile fades, and he looks down at his beer, swirling it absentmindedly. “She’s been struggling, to be honest,” he admits, his voice low. “The whole thing with her dad... It hit her hard. And now, with the pregnancy... It’s a lot for her to handle.”

“I can imagine,” I reply, my heart going out to Isla. She’s been through so much, and now she’s facing the challenges of pregnancy on top of it all. “She’s strong, though. She’ll get through this.”

“Yeah, she is,” Xavier agrees, a hint of pride in his voice. “And I’ll be there every step of the way, no matter what.”

I clap him on the shoulder, offering him a supportive smile. “I know you will, Xav. Isla’s lucky to have you.”

As we sit there, enjoying our cold ones, a comfortable silence washes over us. The horizon is lit up with the sun setting, casting a golden glow over everything. The air around us is warm, with a gentle breeze that carries the scent of the earth and distant eucalyptus trees.

“So… Amelia, ay?”

I’m caught off guard by his question. Fuck, it’s my fault, really. I asked for her details the other day, so of course, he’s curious now.

I whip my head in his direction, my brows furrowing. “What about Amelia?” I ask, attempting to sound casual, but I can feel the tension creeping into my voice.

“Just wondering how she’s doing,” Xavier says, his tone holding a hint of curiosity.

I shrug, attempting to play it off. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

Xavier raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Just fine? You did pay her a visit, no?”

“Yes. And?”

“Well…”

“Well then, what?” I reply, a bit more sharply than intended.

“Easy tiger,” Xavier teases. “Just wanting to know what would have prompted you to do that.”

I exhale, trying to keep my cool. “Just checking in on her. There was an attempted robbery at the florist in town, and she was there.”

“Oh, fuck. I heard about that,” he says, shaking his head. “So, she wasthere?Fucking hell!”

“Mhm.”

“Is she alright?”

“Yes. From what I’ve gathered. Medics checked her out before she left.”

He watches me for a moment, assessing. “That was… nice of you.”

“Just doing my job,” I murmur, trying to deflect.

“Mhm, sure,” Xavier teases, seeing right through my excuse.

Before the conversation can continue, the back door opens abruptly and Olivia steps out. “I thought I heard your voices.”

“Where’d you go?” Xavier asks, clearing his throat.

“I ran to the shops to get some snacks,” Olivia explains, “and ran into Amelia. Chatted for a while in the aisles. I can’t believe whathappened the other day at the shop,” Olivia suddenly blurts out. “How fucking scary. Amelia and I were talking about it.”

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